Evaluation

Chosen Ideas: key hang bar, curved hanger, and ring pole

NVF Test:

Key hang bar: Pretty novel — there are no racks out in the market that looks like it. It’s valuable to an extent — it does what it’s supposed to. I think it’s feasible because it’s not a difficult product to make

Curved hanger: Not very novel, valuable — gives you a lot of extra space, I think it’s feasible — it’s just two curved bars of metals.

Ring pole: Novel because there are no designs that look like this in the market, sorta valuable because it does its job, but it also takes away space, and I think it’s feasible

Market Survey

Key hang bar: 9 out of 15 people would buy it for about $20-$40.

Curved hanger: 10 out of 15 people would buy it for about $15-$30.

Ring pole: 9 out of 15 people would buy it for about $75–$100.

Benchmarking 2x2s and Patent Research

Patent Searches:

Curved hanger: portable shelf and rack device https://patents.google.com/patent/US1654409A/en?q=corner+towel+rack&page=4

• It’s a portable corner shelf and rack that is made for when bathing small children. It is collapsible.

Key hang bar: Towel rack mounting https://patents.google.com/patent/US4979713A/en?q=towel+rack

• It’s a locking mechanism for a circular towel rack/bar.
• Description from the site: “A towel rack mounting means including a triangular bracket which has three contacts with the interior of a circular base. The bracket has three flanges oriented in a triangular array. The round base is locked onto the bracket by screwing a threaded member through the wall of the base to contact one of the bracket flanges, causing the other two bracket flanges to engage a groove on the inner side of the base wall.”

Ring pole: Adjustable shower caddy https://patents.google.com/patent/US20060261022A1/en?q=freestanding&q=towel+ring&page=2

• It’s a shower caddy that attaches to the shower arm. It has circular bowls that could be adjusted up and down by rotating it.

Feasibility Concerns

Key hang bar:

• may get in the way because it sticks out
• ring’s a bit small
• stability on wall

Curved hanger:

• towels/clothes will have to dangle
• no space for dangling towel/clothes

Ring pole:

• can’t hold clothes well
• too big
• takes too much space
• may cost more to manufacture

Pugh Chart

Sketch Model + Feedback

The feedback I got was that it was a bit long, which could be a hazard issue, it takes up quite a bit of space in a small shower room, the ring is too small to put towels through it quickly, and that maybe the ring could be made into something like a bowl.